1. Field of the Invention
The invention is in the field of medical imaging and more specifically in the field of modeling movements of a patient during treatment.
2. Related Art
Currently, to prepare a treatment plan for a patient, a model of the patient's routine movements may be generated. For example, to treat lung cancer, a model of the patient's breathing may be generated prior to radiation therapy. By modeling these movements, the treatment may more efficiently be delivered to the diseased areas by adjusting the delivery of the radiation according to the breathing movements of the patient. Thus, the patient may receive more radiation in targeted areas and be exposed to less radiation in healthy tissues.
Images of the patient, such as a lung, may be generated during treatment. However, these images are not typically sufficient in number or quality to calculate a movement model during the treatment itself. Movement models are, therefore, prepared some time before the treatment. Unfortunately, due to progression of a cancer, positioning of the patient, and/or other factors, the previously generated movement model may be less accurate than desired at the time of the treatment. There is, therefore, a need for improvement modeling of the patient during treatment.